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Apr-May 2007

Wine Wizard
Wine Wizard

My thought is since I am in the TA range for a red wine, although at the low end, I am going to inoculate without any acid additions…

The Acid Test I crushed and sulfited my Cab grapes. In doing the initial tests I got the following readings. Brix was 23.5 (+.22 temp correction) = 23.7, S.G. 1.099 (+.013 temp

Wine Wizard
Wine Wizard

We just blended a 55-gal. (210-L) oak barrel with a blend of 60% Zinfindel and 40% Merlot…

The Zin of Blending Since I can’t taste your wine and so don’t know the profile of each individual component, it’s hard to give you “the right” answer. And I would hazard

Wine Wizard
Wine Wizard

Why are my TA readings off?

I have to hand it to you for doing such complete analysis on your must. If every winemaker were as conscientious as you are, we’d have fewer stuck fermentations, sluggish malolactic fermentation

Wine Wizard
Wine Wizard

How do I know if I’ve blended correctly?

The Zin of Blending We just blended a 55 gal. 1997 oak barrel with a blend of 60% Zinfindel and 40% Merlot. Whatever comes out, we’re going to drink it! But could

Article
Article

Life’s Lessons: Dry Finish

This article originated as I was explaining to my son Christian the differences in the way I make wine and the way his grandfather used to make it. It all began in

Article
Article

Vineyard Field Trips

‘Talent Borrows, Genius Steals’ -attributed to Oscar Wilde As I set out to structure this issue’s “Backyard Vines,” I revisited previous articles to see what vineyard subjects I’d neglected. Surprisingly, I found articles

Wine Wizard
Wine Wizard

Blending and testing: Wine Wizard

The Zin of Blending We just blended a 55 gal. 1997 oak barrel with a blend of 60% Zinfindel and 40% Merlot. Whatever comes out, we’re going to drink it! But could

Wine Wizard
Wine Wizard

Wine Wizard Revealed & Top 10 Winemaking Questions

A Word From the Publisher And the Wine Wizard is……. “When will my fermentation stop?” “Why did my fermentation stop?” One thing I can count on as publisher of WineMaker magazine is